HALSTEAD Town were beaten 2-1 at home by Takeley in the Essex Senior League.

The Humbugs had their second evening game in in four days at The Milbanks when they hosted in-form Takeley, who were fresh off a derby victory against their local rivals Stansted.

Halstead, licking their wounds from the previous Friday’s defeat by Saffron Walden, made three changes to their starting line-up with Ben Morris, Tom White and Matt Travell in the eleven.

However, the big news on the team front was veteran midfielder Nick Miller making a milestone 200th appearance for the Humbugs.

The game got underway on a cold but dry evening and Halstead made a techy start with some errors in the opening minutes and it was the visitors who were stronger in the opening five minutes.

The next 20 minutes saw the teams cancel each other out and the game was in desperate need of a goal or an incident to ignite it.

Halstead then conceded a dubious free-kick 20 yards out and Jordan Westcott’s effort was superbly tipped over the bar by Jack Cherry, who also comfortably collected the corner.

He bowled out the ball and Jordan Blackwell got down the right and cut inside and let fly and this time visiting keeper Matt Gill parried the ball to safety.

Minutes later Blackwell got away again but his effort, under pressure, went just wide of the post.

Takeley then had a chance as Humbugs almost presented them with an opportunity by not clearing their lines but eventually Cherry was able to drop on the ball and avert the danger.

The deadlock was finally broken on 29 minutes when a poor pass across his backline by Westcott was intercepted by Tom White, he advanced and slammed the ball passed Gill to give the hosts the lead.

Travell then had an effort from distance as the teams’ traded punches but Takeley then had another debatable free kick awarded on the edge of the box.

Westcott made up for his earlier mistake as he deposited the ball into the back of the net to equal things up.

The closing minutes of the half saw both sides forcing corners and from their Takeley went close when Westcott flashed a header over the bar.

The whistle went with the team’s level in what ended up being a decent half once it got going.

The opening minutes of the second period mirrored that of the first and needed something to get it going.

On 53 minutes Halstead were nearly the architects of their own downfall as they failed to clear and Hodie Almeida-Joaquill got behind the defence and rounded Cherry but a combination of Jack Schelvis and Travell managed to block the ball the goalbound effort and concede just a corner.

Takeley seemed to be buoyed and Halstead needed a couple of last-ditch blocks to keep them at bay and Almeida-Joaquill was becoming the big threat and Takeley’s out ball.

The 67th minute bought the second goal for Takeley as again Halstead lost possession in the middle of the park and Almeida-Joaquill seized on it and held off all challenges and dispatched the ball into the left hand bottom corner of the net.

The visitors were looking to put the game to bed and Westcott again broke the Halstead defensive line but an advancing Cherry blocked his effort and kept the deficit to one.

Takeley sub Alex Lambrou got down the right flank and a superb cross was heading to Almeida-Joaquill but somehow Robbie Bennett intervened with a outstretched leg to save the day

Once again poor defence work allowed Almeida-Joaquill and Westcott to combine with the latter through one on one with Cherry, but again the home keeper succeeded in blocking his effort for a corner.

A superb run from halfway in his own half by Takeley substitute Coby Miles saw him leave a trail of Halstead players in his wake, including rounding keeper Cherry.

But he fired his shot over when he really should have rounded off a great individual effort.

Halstead responded when Sub Oliver Lonton got free on the left and his cross was met by Joe Jones, but Gill kept his effort out with his legs when it looked as if the hosts would equalise.

The game moved into additional time and a Travell met a corner but put his effort over the bar.

Halstead sought an equaliser but the visitors saw out the game and the Humbugs once again lost having a game having taken the lead - not for the first time this season.

Takeley were good value for their win, posing a constant threat especially through their two scorers Almeida-Joaquill and Westcott.